PALS is designed to give undergraduate and Master’s students experience working with students, families, teachers, and community members in K-12 public school settings. Students will gain insight into university-school partnerships and the ways that such partnerships can support the academic, social, and emotional development of children and youth. The course is framed from a positive youth development perspective and emphasizes the personal, familial, school, and community factors that promote resilience and optimal development of children and youth typically deemed “at-risk”.

In this service-learning course students explore the language, educational, health, and legal issues facing migrant farmworkers in southeast Michigan. As students come to understand the needs of these communities, they learn and practice methods and techniques for teaching ESL to this mixed-proficiency, primarily Spanish-speaking population.

Crosslisted with AMCULT 361, LATINOAM 361, LING 391, RCSSCI 395, RCSTP 395